If Then
by fowl68
Summary: It's the little things they do that you take forever in learning to appreciate. Some mild slash
1. Caring

**Disclaimer:** Don't own! Words in bold are from If Everyone Cared by Nickelback.

**Author's Note:** Just spent half a sleepless night watching Smallville, falling sleep at like one (unheard of for me) and woke up to Break Your Little Heart by All Time Low and somehow (Hell if I know) I got the inspiration for this.

-~-~-~-~

_The friend within the man is that part of him which belongs to you and opens to you a door which never, perhaps, is opened to another. Such a friend is true, and all he says is true; and he loves you even if he hates you in other mansions of his heart. ~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, __The Wisdom of the Sands__, translated from French by Stuart Gilbert_

_-~-~-~-~_

**If everyone cared**

"It is time to rise and greet the day, Kakashi!"

Kakashi, still in sleep's rapture, ignored the voice and tugged the blankets, though they were becoming a bit threadbare, higher. He started when they were jerked out of his hands and something horribly bright, something his mind vaguely reminded him was named the sun, was suddenly streaming into the room. Why had he put his bed by the window?

"'Urn off the sun."

"Sorry, my eternal rival. I cannot let you sleep anymore beside the fact that that is physically impossible."

Kakashi finally gave in, cracking an eye open to see Gai's stomach. It could only be Gai. Who else wore that bright green who knew where he lived? "Why's that?"

"We have a challenge today. It is your turn to decide what we shall do."

"Whoever can stay in bed the longest. Ready, go!"

Gai caught Kakashi's shoulder as he rolled over to sleep once again. "We did that two weeks ago, remember?" Gai sighed mentally when he got no response. Kakashi had made his students practically his whole life. Gai knew he wouldn't rejoin ANBU; Kakashi surely had more sense than that. But since they left, he had nothing with which to occupy his days anymore.

But Gai was determinded to change that. "If you do the challenge, I shall treat you to sushi. The best sushi in the village."

Kakashi's eyes snapped open before he hastily closed Obito's eye. He looked at the taller man warily. "I get to decide the challenge?"

Gai smiled brilliantly and nodded.

"Give me a minute to shower."


	2. Crying

**Disclaimer:** Don't own! Words in bold are from If Everyone Cared by Nickelback.

**Author's Note:** For this chapter, I know that there are always days like this and I always hate going through 'em. So I figure that Hinata can get a bit riled on day like that.

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_You can always tell a real friend: when you've made a fool of yourself he doesn't feel you've done a permanent job. ~Laurence J. Peter_

_-~-~-~-~_

**A****nd nobody cried**

Hinata looked at the spilled coffee on the ground and felt like crying. It might have caused a moment's annoyance on a normal day. But today, there was a clawed fist curled around her womb and the very thought of physical labor made her want to curl back up under the blankets. It was only once a year that the physical discomfort that came with her monthly bleeding would be as bad as this. Two, on a year she had bad luck.

But she couldn't leave the coffee there. Someone, surely Kiba as the least graceful of them all, would slip on it. Sighing, she went to get a paper towel.

* *

The scent hit Kiba like he had run into a glass door. The scent of blood. But he recognized this blood, knew the owner and knew that there had been no injury involved in the bleeding.

In public, he could handle the scent, because it merged with all the other smells of the day. But now, there were just two of them in the house. Shino had been called for mission room duty.

Kiba considered telling Hinata to take the day easy, to let him do the housework, but he knew how that would blow over. Her neat streak extended only as far as the kitchen, for whatever odd reason. But he was _not_ going to sit in frantic silence, hoping that she didn't overexert herself, like a few other times that he could name, and he wasn't going to watch her scrub and mop things that could wait a few damn days to be scrubbed and mopped.

Hinata was jerked gently to her feet, the paper towel slipping out of her hands.

"You are not going to work yourself into the ground trying to do more than you should be doing, d'ya hear me?"

The weepy mood disappeared and pride took its place. "I can do the work, Kiba." She bent to continue cleaning the coffee.

"You have to rest, Hinata! I'll tie you to your bed if I have to."

"This is my own business, Kiba. I appreciate the concern, but I'm fine."

"You smell like you're lying."

"And you've never lied because you're too stubborn to do what people tell you? I know for a fact that you leave the hospital far earlier than when Sakura or Tsunade-sama okays it."

Kiba grit his teeth, but he knew it wouldn't do any good. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Alright, do what you want, Hinata, since I know I can't stop you. But I can't stay here and watch you overexert yourself."

* *

"What did he do?"

Hinata turned to look at Shino, standing in the doorway. "Huh?"

"What did Kiba do? Besides upsetting you."

"Um, well…"

Shino shook his head. He knew perfectly well how protective Kiba could get. He took her hand. She couldn't say she was pushed into the chair, but she found herself sitting there without having decided it for herself.

"Let me guess what happened. You planned for today, knew how much you could do, but he came in here roaring anyway." Shino reached into his pocket and pulled out a box of chocolate pocky. "I have a feeling today requires chocolate. You were making brownies?"

She nodded, smiling and munched on pocky sticks. Hr boys knew how to take care of a girl, even if they weren't their best with social skills.

Shino washed his hands and began adding various nuts to the brownies. He looked like he was confident with the kitchen, but Hinata knew that Shino rarely cooked. Kiba was a little rough around the edges, true, but he cared and was kind. He could be demanding and loud, but that was just Kiba.

* *

Kiba closed the front door quietly. It was late and the other two would surely be in bed already. He opened the door to their shared bedroom, careful not to let the light they kept on in the kitchen so that no one would trip leak into the room. They were both already asleep, Hinata with her head on Shino's chest. He stripped down to his boxers and crawled into bed beside them.

Hinata stirred and looked sideways at him, her eyes bright in the darkness. Feeling a little miserable and very awkward, he rested his forehead on her shoulder. "I, um…picked up a…cookies and cream milkshake…It's in the fridge, if you want it."

Hinata smiled and tugged him closer until his arms were around her small waist, his nose at her cheek. She kissed him on the forehead before saying, "Just go to sleep, Kiba."

He smiled and found that he had no difficulty obeying.


	3. Loving

**Disclaimer:** Don't own! Words in bold are from If Everyone Cared by Nickelback.

**Author's Note:** My tribute to Valentine's Day, since I have a feeling I'll forget.

-~-~-~-~

"_Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward together in the same direction." ~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, __**Wind, Sand and Stars**__**, 1939**__, translated from French by Lewis Galantière_

_-~-~-~-~_

**If everyone loved**

"Where are you taking me?"

"Trust me, Gaara-san." Lee's hands on the shorter man's shoulders were gently guiding. Gaara could identify some smells and he attempted to make a mental map of where they were going based on that. There was Ichiraku, and the Yamanaka Flower Store.

"Stairs." Lee warned and Gaara felt one of the hands slip down so that Gaara could feel the rough bandages of Lee's hands.

After the stairs were careful movements forward and finally Lee's hands brush his temples as they untie the blindfold. It doesn't take Gaara more than a minute to become adjusted to the twilight. Suna was brighter than this after all.

"Valentine's Day fireworks." Lee explains and there's a blush dusting his cheeks. "I was hoping you would watch them with me."

Gaara looks at the young man in front of him and thinks that no one had ever cared enough to do something like this. "It would be my pleasure."


	4. Lying

**Disclaimer:** Don't own! Words in bold are from If Everyone Cared by Nickelback.

**Author's Note:**

-~-~-~-~

_If a friend is in trouble, don't annoy him by asking if there is anything you can do. Think up something appropriate and do it. ~Edgar Watson Howe_

_-~-~-~-~_

**And nobody lied**

He'd told her that he'd take her out to dinner, that she deserved it and that he'd be grateful for the company.

If there was anything that Shikamaru was good at, it was tact. He knew that he should wait until they'd enjoyed their stuffed mushrooms that were serving as appetizers to say anything. "So what happened?"

Ino looks at him warily across the table. "With what?"

"Whatever happened that's been making you so unhappy."

Ino leans her forearms on the table, not quite sure how to begin. They could have had this conversation at the apartment that she was going to move back into, the one that was Team 10's. The one that they shared most of the time, though she'd moved out two months ago.

"I'm not what he wanted."

Shikamaru arches an eyebrow. "He doesn't want an intelligent, strong, beautiful woman?"

Ino smiled, the sting easing because she knew that he meant what he said. There weren't any romantic feelings between them, not anymore, but he said things as he saw them. "No. He wants a Hinata." His mahogany eyes chilled and she added hastily, "Not _Hinata_, just someone like her. He wants to protect someone."

The chill faded and a slight smile tilted his lips. Ino knew what he was thinking. It had been a long time since she'd had to be protected. "He can't get over the fact that you've been on the front lines of a war and survived?"

"Partially. He also can't get over the fact that I kill people. Even if I don't like doing it, I do. And the fact that I could get into his head without a problem."

"You were someone else he had to compete against. And since he's a chuunin and you're a jounin, he doesn't beat you in that department. And because he had to retire early due to injuries, he has to put up with the fact that you're forever going to have abilities he doesn't." Shikamaru said. "But there are plenty of civilians with civilian lovers."

"Yeah, but he doesn't want someone that can fend for themselves. He wants someone who he can protect, someone whose talents aren't as violent."

"So who was it?"

Her cornflower eyes snap to his. "I never said there was someone specific." Shikamaru didn't say anything, just twirled his spaghetti around the fork. "…She's a nurse. Saki."

"So you told him that you were done and left."

"Still need to pack my bags, but yes."

"Did you love him?"

"I hoped I could. It felt nice to be with a decent guy for once."

Shikamaru held out the last piece of shrimp. "Well, there can only be so many idiots in the world. Hopefully you'll find someone who isn't nearly so troublesome and actually appreciates you."

Ino looked through his eyes for a moment, afraid there was some message he was sending. All she saw was Shikamaru, one of her best friends and a near brother. She took the bite from his fork. She smiled warmly at him. "Thanks, Shika."


	5. Sharing

**Disclaimer:** Don't own! Words in bold are from If Everyone Cared by Nickelback.

**Author's Note:**

-~-~-~-~

_We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love. ~Author Unknown_

_-~-~-~-~_

**If everyone shared**

It was a weekly ritual. They'd unplug the phone, heat up popcorn and were sure to have three tubs of ice cream, all different flavors. It was never the same three two weeks in a row. This week it was raspberry chocolate chip, rocky road, and vanilla with chestnuts and almonds, each in their own gallon container. Blankets were spread about the living room so that they were all in easy reach.

Then, at six on the dot, they'd all be rushing to get to their seats, always in the same positions. Sakura sitting cross-legged in her candycane striped pajamas, Naruto lying on his back, knees folded in his M&M pajama bottoms, so they could fit on the couch with his head resting on her thigh. And just in front of him, though not so that Naruto couldn't see the screen, Sasuke was seated with his back against the couch in an old T-shirt and sweatpants.

They stay curled up as they are, sharing ice creams and at some point during the evening, Naruto's right hand will play with Sasuke's spikes and Sakura will shift so that her and Naruto are in the same position and Naruto will move until his head is resting on her belly.

It's their one guaranteed peaceful night of the week and they can't think of a better way to spend it. After all, everyone loves the Funniest Videos.


	6. Pride

**Disclaimer:** Don't own! Words in bold are from If Everyone Cared by Nickelback.

**Author's Note:**

-~-~-~-~

_Silences make the real conversations between friends. Not the saying but the never needing to say is what counts. ~Margaret Lee Runbeck,_ _**Answer Without Ceasing**_

**-~-~-~-~**

**And swallowed their pride**

Tenten folds her arms beneath her breasts, shoulder leaning against the doorframe. She'd gone to help Neji up, he still had difficulty moving after having been sliced down the line of his spine (though luckily it hadn't been so deep as to find the bone) but he was steadfastly refusing help. He could sit up fairly alright, but getting up made him gasp at the pain. You didn't really appreciate how much you used you use the muscles in your back until they're gone.

It takes him another fifteen minutes to rise and as soon as he's on his feet, he has to grasp at the wall to stay upright. At that moment, the pale eyes meet Tenten's. "Ready to accept the help?" She asks. "'Cause you know if you don't, your breakfast will be cold."

It had been the one thing he hadn't fought her on, was the making of the meals. Neji was an acceptable cook. When he made eggs, they were bland, but not bad. His coffee was downright terrible, even as accustomed to Gai-sesei's cooking as she was, but his tea was good. His fried potatoes, for some inexplicable reason, were his best.

They went through this every morning, every day. He'd fight for his pride and end up in pain and eventually accepting her help. And she let him do it because she knew it would be keeping his pride intact, something he worked very hard to do.

Tenten moves forward, slipping an arm around his waist and one of his arms over her shoulder and helps him stagger forward. It's slow going, but he gets to the kitchen table much faster than he would have gotten there on his own.

Neji doesn't thank her, not outright, but when he offers to do the dishes, she smiles and tells him that he can do that when he recovers. And that he owes her several meals.


	7. Dying

**Disclaimer:** Don't own! Words in bold are from If Everyone Cared by Nickelback.

**Author's Note:** I realized after I'd written this that the song playing on my iTunes was Empty Apartment by Yellowcard. That's just a little unsettling.

-~-~-~-~

_A goodbye isn't painful unless you're never going to say hello again. ~Author Unknown_

**-~-~-~-~**

**Then we'd see the day when nobody died**

He's drained and numb and not feeling very much like anything. His feet are leading him past the familiar buildings as the rain begins to come down. It was mostly only the buildings on the outskirts of the village that had been destroyed and he knows that his flat is probably in smithereens.

Without thinking, he's climbing the stairs, refusing to look at the civilians who are fearfully looking out through the cracks of their doors. Dimly, he wonders if they see what he saw in the mirror in the mornings. A bloodstained phantom painted in brushes of blacks and silvers. Then the artist had slipped and gotten a bad paper-cut, spilling the red onto the painting.

The door is locked, but that doesn't deter him. He slips the keys from his pockets and ignores the way his hands are trembling as he turns the key in the lock.

The apartment is as familiar as ever and it makes his heart crumble.

There is the kitchen where he'd help Kushina fend off Minato's attempt to steal bites of the food from their weekly dinners. And then there's the living room where they'd had take-out more than once when no one felt like cooking. And then there's the hallway, with the hall closet that Obito had shoved Kakashi in once.

And right beside the hall closet is the room that would never be used, the room with the soft baby blankets in greens and soft oranges, the fuzzy stuffed animals that were piled in the crib. The rocking chair and the fairy tale books, the nightlights. The walls painted in pastel colors, along with some of the ceiling as well when Minato and he had gotten into a fight with the paint rollers.

Kakashi doesn't think about it when he curls up on Minato and Kushina's bed. It still smells like both of them, like what home had begun to smell like to him. Like cinnamon and spices and sunshine.

He doesn't remember falling asleep and he doesn't remember dreaming of the nightmares. But he startles awake when he hears the turning of a knob and soft, shuffling footsteps on the wooden floors.

He levers himself up on his elbows, hand automatically going for the short sword on his back when he realizes that he recognizes the face in the doorway.

"I had a feeling that this is where you would be." The Sandaime says and he sounds exhausted and dead and it's the first time that he really looks old to Kakashi. Kakashi notices the bundle of blankets in his arms. Perhaps Sarutobi reads the question in his eye. "His name is Naruto."

Kakashi's heart, already crumbled, feels like it's being pounded and just beat on. He knows the name, remembers Minato telling him about it. He can only guess what happened to Kushina, but he doesn't ask after her because he doesn't want to know why she wasn't here, putting the baby in the crib and curling into the blankets.

"What's going to happen to him?" he finds himself asking.

Sartobi sighs. "I've no idea. I was going to find you and ask if you would take care of him until the Coucil reaches a decision."

Kakashi's head rebels against it, tells him that doing this will only hurt more. But his mouth moves of its own accord. "I don't have an apartment."

"I'm aware. But this one," They're both being very careful not to mention the names of the owners. "Is equipped for a child. I think this apartment is the best place for the both of you for right now."

"I don't know how to take care of a baby." Kakashi says, but he already knows he's going to do it. The thought that Rin would know how and would help him, if she were here, flashes through his mind and he stomps on the thought before the pain it's associated with comes.

"I or someone I send will stop by tomorrow morning to help you. Just take care of him for the night."

Kakashi doesn't consciously make the decision to hold his arms out, but he does and there's a warm weight being placed on them. He's not sure when Sarutobi leaves because he finds himself awed by the small person. There is faint wisps of blonde hair, the skin still slightly red and there are six markings on the chubby cheeks.

He scoots back until he can put his head on the pillows and lays Naruto right beside him. Sleep's enchanting call almost has him once more when he hears a noise. His eyes open once more and his stomach jerks at the very blue eyes that are looking directly at him.

He's not sure what is going to happen. He doesn't want to remember what has happened. So he slips off of the bed and gets one of the fairy tale books out of the nursery. They were the only things that ended in happily ever after, after all.


End file.
